2nd Tennessee player arrested after early morning bar brawl; police say more could be charged

2nd Tennessee player arrested after bar brawl

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two Tennessee players have been charged in an early morning bar brawl that left an off-duty police officer who tried to break up the fight knocked unconscious, and more could be facing charges, police said Friday.

Incoming freshman receiver Da’Rick Rogers was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, Knoxville police said. Rising sophomore defensive back Darren Myles Jr. was charged with assault, resisting arrest and evading arrest, according to Knox County Detention Facility records.

Robert Capouellez, an off-duty Knoxville officer who was a patron at Bar Knoxville and tried to break up the fight, was being treated for a head injury after being knocked unconscious, Knoxville police spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. Capouellez, 24, was allegedly hit in the head, knocked to the ground and then kicked several times by one of the suspects.

Another unidentified bar patron also was taken to a hospital, though the extent of that person’s injuries were not clear.

A message for Tennessee athletic officials was not immediately returned Friday morning, and the bar was not yet open for business. DeBusk said police notified Volunteers coach Derek Dooley, who was out of town.

Myles was turned over to the University of Tennessee Police Department after a campus police officer was allegedly assaulted trying to take him into custody. A school spokeswoman said a statement from the university would be released later Friday.

DeBusk said police would not release the names of the others detained until they were charged, but said some of them may also be associated with the Vols football program.

This is the second offseason arrest for Myles, 19. He also was charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on April 18 after a disturbance at a Knoxville restaurant and nightclub. Dooley handled Myles’ punishment for that arrest internally, though the criminal case is still pending.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Atlanta native who was part of Lane Kiffin’s only recruiting class showed promise during spring practice. After the Vols’ April 17 spring game, he was awarded the program’s Fourth Quarter Award by coaches for dedication to the program.

The 18-year-old Rogers, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound native of Calhoun, Ga., was among Dooley’s first signing class.

Both had been released from the detention center Friday afternoon. It was not clear if either player had an attorney.

Several witnesses told police two patrons got into a fight inside Bar Knoxville around 1:50 a.m., and several others jumped into the melee. Employees pushed the brawl out onto the street.

Sandy Morton, who owns Bar Knoxville with her husband, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press they’ve never had any problems from Vols players. She said many of the players, who are treated as VIPs and don’t pay a cover charge, are on a first-name basis with her husband.

“I don’t know what happened, but several of the guys started beating up the other customer,” she told the newspaper. “I want to guess there was seven to 10 guys beating up this one gentleman.”

Knoxville police turned over one of the six people detained to the University of Tennessee Police Department after a campus police officer was assaulted trying to take him into custody.